


Betrayal of The Mind and Body

by kmc995



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Bromance, Gen, Pain, Parabatai, Romance, Shadowhunters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-05-27 10:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6280522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kmc995/pseuds/kmc995
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The feeling of betrayal was a harsh one. Alec’s been trying to hold the feeling at bay, give the benefit of the doubt, but the tendrils were slowly but surely finding their way past the defenses he’d spent years building. And it hurt. It stung. More than he’d ever imagined it would, actually.</p><p>A piggyback of sorts off of Shadowhunters episode 10 with some added creative freedom in which Alec deals with his world crashing down around him whilst trying to hide both mental and physical pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> So I originally got inspired to write something after watching the new Shadowhunters television show on Freeform -- it just took me this long to actually get around to it. I've read all the books and I must say, even though the TV show is quite different, it retains the same bones as the books. It immediately got me into the Shadowhunter world again.
> 
> Even though I wrote this mostly pertaining to the Television show, I figured it was similar enough to also tag it for the Book series.
> 
> This is unedited, and I didn't really pay close attention to specific details so forgive any continuity errors there may be. I'll just plead Creative Freedom. Also, be gentle to me -- this is literally the 1st thing I've written in maybe 2 years? Sad, right?
> 
> Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Shadowhunter characters -- they belong to either Cassandra Clare or Freeform.

     The Institute felt smaller than it ever had before. The constant plot twists in his life are making what little hold he has on reality tremor dangerously. He doesn’t know how many more surprises he can handle – a cause for concern, considering the collected and pragmatic attitude he’s reputed to have. Pretty soon, that reality will collapse and he’s not so sure he’ll be able to handle it when the time comes.

     He shut the door behind him slowly, hesitant to leave his sister’s side in the current situation she’s in. Raj was waiting for him when he came out. With a listless tilt of his head, Alec Lightwood walked past him and started down the long hallway. The heels of his black boots clacked faintly against the polished hardwood floor. Despite the familiar commotion around him, Alec felt like a stranger standing amidst foreigners. Everyone he thought he knew, all the people he grew up with and fought side-by-side with? Turns out they’re nothing more than faceless hypocrites who deceived him into thinking they cared. Every corner he turns is another familiar imposter walking by. Every voice he hears nothing more than a monotonous ramble.

     The feeling of betrayal was a harsh one. Alec’s been trying to hold the feeling at bay, give the benefit of the doubt, but the tendrils were slowly but surely finding their way past the defenses he’d spent years building. And it hurt. It stung. More than he’d ever imagined it would, actually. It was a different kind of pain than the pain a blade could give him. More mentally painful than physically, though sometimes he swears his chest aches. His heart feels raw and heavy, his mind clouded with a resonating anger. He’d never experienced betrayal before. Not like this, anyway. The betrayal he’d felt when Isabelle told their mother about the stray cat he’d tried to adopt, the betrayal he’d felt when Jace stayed the night in one of the visiting shadowhunter’s rooms a few months back – they were not betrayal at all. Not in the true sense.

     Yet, Alec realized that betrayal isn’t always instantaneous. It could start one day and drag on for years before it finds the light of day. Everything may be in shambles, but maybe it always has been. His parents for instance – former Circle members – were in Idris to be questioned. Isabelle was on trial for treason, running the risk of banishment and rune removal. Jace was angel-knows-where – probably with Clary congratulating themselves on a job well done in not only stealing from him, but removing the only bargaining chip he had to free Izzy.

     Alec clenched his teeth, his steps unintentionally gaining weight each time he took one. Izzy had told him about how they had managed to open the vault. Although a little puzzling seeing as they barely knew each other, Alec felt a pang in his chest at Magnus’ involvement.

     His thoughts were interrupted when the hallway opened into a room bustling with activity. The computer screens showed various maps and he noticed Lydia Branwell studying one, her long blonde hair up in its usual do. She looked stressed, her shoulders tense. He thought about her fiancé. She wasn't a bad person, just someone with an unfortunate past.

     Gingerly gripping his still aching bicep, Alec strategically made his way towards the exit, trying to call as little attention to himself as possible. A difficult feat, seeing as he was six feet tall, but the fact that everyone wore black worked in his favor. He paused as he skirted by the weapons rack, glancing towards the row of sleek, deadly looking bow and arrow sets neatly placed at waist level. He was tempted to snag one, but surely someone would notice. He didn’t really need one where he was going anyways and he really didn’t need people asking questions. With his mind made up, Alec ignored the weapons, quickly checking his jacket pocket for his stele before he made a hasty exit.

\-----

     The fresh air was like a soothing drink of water as he took a deep breath. It was about four hours past noon, so the sun was still pretty high in the sky. The sun rays beat down on Alec’s dark brown clad shoulders, providing a welcoming warmth and a pleasant remedy for his aching body. Even after the countless _iratze_ runes he’d activated, the cut in his arm was still giving him problems despite there no longer being any evidence of one. Though Hodge had found no trace of demon poison in the wound, it felt like the pain was spreading. _It’s probably just stress_ , Alec thought to himself. Or it could be due to the constant strain he’s been putting on his body, what with his fight with Jace and the tracking ordeal. Regardless, he couldn’t afford _not_ to just suck it up.

     An hour or so of aimlessly walking around the streets of New York City, Alec found himself sitting in an old maple tree relatively deep in the forest. Dark and quiet, it was a place he often found solace – he’d been coming here since before Max was born. The isolation from the rest of the world was comforting. He didn’t need to stand tall and had no need for what other people liked to call his ‘leader-expression.’

     Closing his eyes, Alec let out a long breath. His brow was covered in a thin layer of sweat thanks to the effort it took climbing. He had to physically still his hand as it shook with discomfort. He ignored it, forcing himself to relax.

     Not five minutes went by when a familiar jingle ripped through the silence.

_Ring...Ring…Ring…_

     “Ughhhhhh…,” Alec groaned, annoyance flooding his mind. He struggled to get his phone out of his jeans pocket, wanting the unwelcome intrusion to disappear. When he saw the name on the caller ID, he braced himself.

     “Yeah?” he answered, perhaps a little curter than he’d intended.

     “ _Where are you?_ ” Lydia’s hard voice echoed through the speaker. She sounded displeased and perhaps a little worried, which slightly irritated him.

     “Out. I needed some fresh air.”

     “ _Out? Alec, you can’t just go_ out _. Or did you forget the state of things right now_?”

     “I didn’t forget, I just needed time to think,” Alec sighed, his tone a little less aggressive than it was before. “I’ll be fine, Lydia.”

     There was a pregnant pause, unintelligible background noise could be heard from the other end of the line. “ _Is this still about Isabelle_?” Lydia finally responded.

     Now it was Alec’s turn to pause. “No—yes…I don’t know. It’s everything.” He didn’t even know where to begin.

     “ _You know I had no choice, Alec_ ,” she began, trying to explain her reasoning once again, “ _the Clave—_ ”

     “I know, I know!” Alec cut her off. ‘Rule with our brains, not our hearts,’ that’s what they’d agreed upon. But this was a bit more personal than the whole Meliorn issue. Then again, Izzy should have just let it be. Couldn’t she see that Alec was only doing what was best? Didn’t anyone trust him? The whole situation was aggravating as hell, rogue thoughts running around his head with lightning speed. “I’ll be back soon.”

     “ _Alec—_ ” He pressed end before she could finish. This was not a conversation he wanted to have in a tree over the goddamned phone.

     Frustration prickled at the back of his eyes as he put his cell on silent. Just as he did, however, he noticed his phone go off again – no ring accompanied the call this time. He expected it to be Lydia, but to his surprise it wasn’t. It was Jace. He was not in the mood to talk to his Parabatai. He debated on pressing ignore, but his curiosity led him to wait. He wanted to see if he’d leave a voicemail.

     Against his will, he felt a little thrill when the notification for new voicemail finally popped up. Whether it was because he had purposely ignored Jace’s call for once or because Jace had actually left a message, he wasn’t entirely sure. He waited a few moments just to be safe before he dialed his inbox.

     Jace’s voice came through the phone. It was quiet and although he doubted that anyone else would notice, he could tell it was a bit shaky. Maybe even slightly panicked.

     “ _Alec. Alec call me back if you get this. Please. I need to know if you’re okay…my Parabatai rune…are you hurt? It's so weak now_ —”

     There was a long pause accompanied by a sharp intake of breath. Is _he_ hurt?

     “ _I…call me back._ ”

 _Click_. And the message ended.

     Alec suddenly felt extremely guilty, though he really tried not to be. He gripped his still-raw side, rubbing the bonding rune that both he and Jace shared. The memory of the whole Parabatai tracking trial made him wince; surely Jace had felt what he felt? He didn’t know that it would travel to both ends… Another worry to add to the ever growing list. Alec swallowed hard as he focused on the link. It was still faint, extremely weak. He felt as if it would snap if he so much as coughed. A rather large part of him wondered if it would be gone next time he woke up.

     What he found most irksome of all was the fact that it was all for nothing. Absolutely nothing. Jace is still AWOL, and he has a feeling that even if he were to call him back and ask, he still would not disclose his location. Because he was the enemy now. _Clary_ was all that mattered now. Not his family.

     Against his better judgement, Alec decided to wait on calling Jace back. Let him wallow a bit with his thoughts. If he really cared that much, then he could come back and see for himself if his Parabatai was okay.

\-----

     As he’d expected, Alec was practically ambushed as soon as he walked through the door. Lydia grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side, her grip firm for such small hands. Alec resisted the urge to flinch when his arm throbbed once again.

     “Alec, before you say anything you need to know—” Alec suddenly stopped listening as he caught a flash of fiery red hair.

     He’d expected Lydia. What he hadn’t expected was to see Clary.

     “Alec!” Clary rushed over. She was wearing a brown jacket that almost looked red when the light hit it in a certain way. It rested over a simple black tank that highlighted just how small she was. . The chain around her neck – he recognized it as part of the necklace he’d placed in the vault, only now it was devoid of the portal shard.

     Lydia – most likely having wanted to warn Alec _before_ he noticed the guests – exhaled in discontent and moved out of Alec’s line of sight. It was then that he also saw Magnus, in all his sparkled glory. _Great_ , he thought. All the people responsible for his inner struggles.

     “What the hell are you doing here?” He asked, not to kindly. It was a question mainly targeted towards Clary, though he couldn’t help but share a glance with the Warlock. “Where’s Jace?” Where Clary was, Jace couldn’t be far behind.

     “He’s in the infirmary.”

     “What?” Alec exclaimed, his blue eyes trained on the red head. What did she get him into?

     “He’s fine, don’t worry,” a soft voice replied, forcing Alec to drag his accusing stare away from Clary and over to Magnus. “It was just a little Demon venom. Nothing I couldn’t handle.” He smiled, wiggling his fingers with a flourish. Alec didn’t smile back.

     “What happened?” he demanded of Clary instead. “And where the hell have you been?”

     She looked slightly taken aback by the intensity of his stare. “It’s…complicated.”

     Alec scoffed. “Oh yeah? Complicated like the time you stole the cup? How about like when your stupid rescue mission put Izzy in jail? Hm?” He started ticking off fingers. “Or maybe when—”

     “Enough!” Clary yelled. Her eyes were angry but Alec found it hard to take her seriously. “Don’t blame this on me! ! I told you before – you were taking things way too far. You’re just too damn stubborn to see it, Alec!”

     “ _I’m_ taking things too far?” He growled, hand on his chest. “I’m just following the law – trying to keep everyone _safe_. _You’re_ the one taking things too far – just look where we are now! Jace is poisoned and Izzy’s in jail. She could be exiled!” Clary stepped back as Alec stepped forward, stabbing a finger in her direction. “Everything was fine until you came along! You’ve been a Shadowhunter for what? A week? You messed with everyone’s heads. You don’t care about the Shadowhunters, all you care about is yourself and your goddamned mother.”

     Silence filled the small circle of people as Alec caught his breath. All the crap he’d been feeling up ‘til now, he finally allowed himself to express some of it. Not all of it, but enough to keep him sane for another night. It felt like some of the weight was lifted off his back. Clary, on the other hand, looked like she had more to say but couldn’t find a way to start. A small victory in Alec’s eyes.

     “That’s not true.” She finally stated. Another silence.

     “Alec,” Magnus spoke, trying to diffuse the tension, “how about I take you to the Infirmary?”

     An unexplainably deep Ire flared up in Alec at this request. Magnus wasn’t innocent in this. “I can find my own way,” he snapped, noting the shocked expression that transformed the Warlock’s usually unruffled facade. Alec wondered if he imagined the underlying sadness.

     Without another word, Alec walked away. The other Shadowhunters quickly pretended to look busy, as if they hadn’t just witnessed the yelling match that had happened a few feet from them. He pointedly ignored them all and made his way towards the health wing of the Institute.

     His arm was killing him now. He hadn’t really noticed when he’d been jerking it around during his mini tirade, but it hit him now full force. The throbbing pulsed throughout his entire left side like a heartbeat and it seemed his breath still hadn’t caught up with him. Cradling his arm, he stopped outside the Infirmary. Was he really up to seeing Jace right now? Physically, he was drained. Mentally, even more so.

     He rested his forehead against the cool wood of the door. He couldn’t discern any movement inside the room, which probably meant Jace was resting. There’d be no point in visiting now anyways.

 _Tomorrow_ , Alec reasoned. He sluggishly lifted his head, blinking away fatigue and escaped to his room. Thankfully, he met no one on the short journey. By the time he closed his door behind him, he felt as if he would pass out. It took more time than usual to remove his jacket and shirt, but once he did he immediately collapsed on his bed, not bothering with the grey comforter that lay beneath his body. With one more _iratze_ , Alec relaxed at the temporary relief it brought and took advantage of it by promptly falling asleep.


	2. Self-Condemning Masochistic Urges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after the successful trial of Isabelle Lightwood, Alec finds himself at odds with his sister while she herself searches for a way to knock some sense into her older brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I'm not going to make excuses, though I was pretty busy with College, work, moving, and medical stuff. To be honest, I've actually had 75% of this written like two weeks after the 1st chapter was published. But, if you've read any of my other works, you should know that I am absolute crap at updating in a timely fashion.
> 
> As you can see, this chapter kind of skips ahead to after the trial of Izzy. From here on out, my story is not going to follow the plot line of the TV show. I'm trying to take my own route. So, my apologies if this starts to seem a little OOC.

_“To your left!” Isabelle yelled from where she sat in her cage. Alec jerked instinctively, narrowly avoiding the nasty end of a club. The Forsaken was horribly disfigured, a truly hideous creature._ If the looks don’t do you in, the smell definitely will _, Alec thought, resisting the urge to wrinkle his nose in disgust. He quickly took it down with his seraph blade, nimbly stepping out of the way of its falling corpse_  
  
      _His eyes roamed around the immediate vicinity for another threat. The forest was silent, not even the rustle of the wind blowing through the trees was heard. Something wasn’t right…_  
  
  _A yelp from his sister broke his attention, but when he jerked his head she was nowhere to be seen. The forest…there was no forest anymore. Alec panicked, turning around in confusion searching for the white jacket she had been wearing…or was it black? Why couldn’t he remember?_  
  
  _“_ Isabelle? _” he screamed, not caring if he gave away his location to the enemy. There was nothing around him in this empty room. The walls were painted a ghostly white, almost translucent in the nonexistent lighting._  
  
  _His chest tight, Alec tried to even out his breathing, to remember his training. His hands shook as he raised his weapon – now holding his bow with a quiver of razor sharp arrows strapped to his back. He heard a hiss behind him, but when he turned around, nothing was there._  
  
  _Alec nocked an arrow, holding his weapon at the ready. Looking down the shaft of his projectile, his eyes searched for his target._  
  
     On your left _…a distant voice whispered in his ear just as fire danced through his veins._  
  
\-------  
  
     With a jolt, Alec was ripped from his slumber. His heart felt like a jackhammer, beating in his chest a million times per second. He tried to open his blue eyes only to immediately squeeze them shut as the harsh light from his open window blinded him. Through sheer force of will he pushed himself up into a sitting position, gasping at the stiffness of his muscles. Alec had to hold his head in his hands as blood rushed upwards from the sudden movement. He shivered as his breath tickled his chest, only now realizing he was covered in a sheen of sweat.  
  
     Slowly, he peeled open his eyes, letting them adjust to the light of the room. Sweat dripped from his brow and into his eyes, forcing him to blink a few times to clear his vision. His room was neat for the most part – only a few clothes scattered on the ground here and there. The walls were a dark color, not unlike almost every other room in the Institute, and you could see dust particles floating through the sunlight.  
  
     As his eyes swept his small room, his eyes caught on the pile of weapons placed on his desk, particularly his bow and arrow. He frowned slightly as he remembered last night. He was glad that Magnus let him keep his bow, yes…but the memory of their encounter was nothing short of confusing and frustrating. Of course, he would be forever grateful at his assistance in fighting for Isabelle, but why is it that every time they meet, something inside him yearns to listen to what he’s saying? It was obvious that the Warlock liked him…but he was getting married. Why couldn’t he just accept that? Instead, he had to keep filling his head with unreasonable hopes, unreachable futures.  
  
     His body felt unnaturally heavy as he got to his feet, cautiously stretching his limbs. Studying his arm, he could see nothing but flawless skin, runes, and the fading marks the folds in his blanket had left. Alec scratched at the Angelic rune near his elbow as he made his way to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror made him grimace. His face, still glistening with sweat, looked pale and his eyes sunken. The large bags under his eyes didn’t help either, alluding to his fretful sleep. He pushed his damp bangs out of his eyes and unenthusiastically hopped in the shower, turning the knob all the way to make the stream of water as hot as he could get it.  
  
\-------  
  
     “Alec,” a voice called from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, confirming that it was indeed Isabelle calling for him, but continued to punch away at the punching bag.  
  
     “Jeeze, what did that bag ever do to you?” his sister mockingly joked, raising an eyebrow at the intensity of which he was bashing away at it. “You nervous?”"  
  
     Alec stopped his assault with one final hit. He cradled his arm, something he found himself doing unintentionally, as he met Isabelle’s eyes. “What’s there to be nervous about?” he questioned between breaths. With everything going on, Lydia had suggested they marry as soon as possible. Of course, Alec had agreed. The Grand Inquisitor had already questioned their upcoming union. The sooner they married, the sooner he could start taking control of the Institute – a position he was unwilling to abandon.  
  
     It was up to him to keep the Lightwood name in the light now. He would fix what his parents tarnished. Marriage was just the only way to achieve that goal, and it’s not like joining the Branwell and Lightwood names was such a horrible sacrifice. Like Lydia had said, their families had always been powerful allies. As for Lydia herself, she was a strong, independent leader with enough compassion in her heart to rival her undeniable good looks. If anything, he should be considered lucky. Despite this being a strategic marriage rather than one of love, he could see himself finding happiness with her later in life.  
  
     “Oh, come on big brother. You may fool yourself but you’re not fooling me.” She placed her hand gently on his arm, the one he only now realized was being cradled. Alec immediately shook it off like it was nothing, ignoring the fact that she obviously could tell something was wrong.  
  
     “Iz, I’m fine. Really.” Not bothering with his tank, he shrugged on his black jacket.  
  
     His sister donned skeptical look on her face, hesitantly dropping the subject and getting right to the point of her visit. “I know you’re going to say no, but before you do—”  
  
     “No.”  
  
     “Alec!” Izzy whined. “C’mon! You didn’t even know what I was going to say.” Alec wondered if the pout that was on her face was intentional or not. Either way, it tested his resolve.  
  
     “Would it have something to do with a bachelor party?” He’d heard the whispers throughout the building and he knew his sister. He focused on wiping the sweat off his forehead. It’s easier than looking at the disappointment in his little sister’s face.  
  
     “Not just any bachelor party, though!”  
  
     “Iz, I said no.”  
  
     “If you’re planning on throwing a life of happiness away regardless of my help, at least let me try and give you this one thing.” She was tugging on the sleeve of his jacket like she used to do when they were little.  
  
     “I’m not throwing away my happiness.” He wasn’t throwing away his happiness…  
  
     She rolled her eyes, “You are. Don’t even try to tell me you’re not. You should be with Magnus, living it up.”  
  
     “Isabelle!” Alec whispered incredulously. He glanced around the room to make sure no one had heard.  
  
     Isabelle didn’t stop, though she did lower her voice. “How can you ignore your feelings? I don’t understand why you refuse to let yourself be happy.” The confusion on her perfectly contoured face had Alec fishing for an explanation.  
  
     Alec released a defeated sigh and looked his sister right in the eye. “To keep everyone safe.” Because that’s what he was trying to do. Keep everyone safe and happy living the life they deserved.  
  
     Isabelle just stood there, not knowing what to say.  
  
     “You don’t think I know what I’m doing? I’m doing this for us, for our family. Izzy, we will _lose_ the Institute if I don’t do something. The place where we grew up, the place we’ve known all our lives. Our family name is on the stake and I refuse to let our parents drag us down with them. We’ve done more than our share of following. It’s time we took matters into our own hands and that’s what I’m trying to do. If that means marrying Lydia, then so be it.”  
  
     “You say that as if you're the only one who can do anything about it,” Izzy spoke. “I may be younger than you but I’m just as capable of handling my own.” Her crossed arms and pinched eyebrows emphasized her stubbornness.  
  
     “I’m the eldest,” Alec reasoned. “I couldn’t in my right mind let you take any more heat for this than you already have.”  
  
     “What did I just say?” Izzy ripped the towel Alec had been fiddling with from his hands.  
  
     “Izzy, you don’t understand—”  
  
     “Then _help_ me understand.”  
  
     Alec’s words caught in his throat. She didn’t understand, _no one_ understood. Why couldn’t anyone let it be? Why couldn’t anyone let him chose his own path without constantly questioning his motives?  
  
     “All you need to know, Isabelle, is that I’m doing this. It’s happening and it’s too late to stop it.” Though his words were quiet, they held the intensity of a man who’s made up his mind and has already accepted his fate.  
  
     Several moments passed as Isabelle studied her big brother’s face intently. She must have seen his resolve. Alec could be just as stubborn as she could – it runs in the Lightwood family. Instead of continuing their debate, she simply nodded. Alec would venture to guess it wasn’t the last he was going to hear about this.  
  
     “If you’ll excuse me, I have a recon mission to get ready for.” He gently took the towel back from his sister’s now soft grip. “And no party.” He repeated, his back towards her as he disappeared behind the screen.  
  
\-------  
  
     “Jace,” Isabelle called, standing at the blonde Shadowhunter’s door. He was wearing all black, like usual, sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked up as she approached, momentarily stilling the hand that was busy fiddling with his stele.  
  
     “We need to do something about Alec,” she deadpanned.  
  
     Jace seemed to ignore her, looking back down at the object in his hands intently.  
  
     “I’ve already tried that. Didn’t work, remember?”  
  
     “That was before. We need to try again.” Isabelle claimed the spot next to him, twisting her body until one leg was on the mattress and the other hanging off the side. The fabric of the red dress she wore barely allowed for the position, stretching to compensate.  
  
     “He won’t listen to me. He made that loud and clear at the warehouse,” he mumbled apathetically, still twirling his stele. Isabelle was about to smack it from his hand.  
  
     “To be fair, both of you weren’t thinking clearly,” she said instead.  
  
     “So you’re on his side now?” he looked up.  
  
     “You were beating each other up!” Isabelle reasoned. “Which, if you ask me, doesn’t sound like something Parabatai do in their right of mind. Besides, this isn’t about taking sides. This is about Alec and his self-condemning masochistic urges.”  
  
     “If he wants to marry Lydia, let him.” Back to playing with his stele.  
  
     “Jace!” Isabelle gently put her misleadingly delicate hand over his, grabbing his attention. “Do you know what Alec said to me?” She paused, waiting for a sign that he was going to take this seriously. “He told me that he’s marrying Lydia because he thinks he _needs_ to in order to keep us safe.” Jace’s expression turned hard.  
  
     “That doesn’t make any sense, Iz.”  
  
     “That’s what I said! He thinks it’s his duty as the eldest to protect the family or whatever.”  
  
     “Sounds like Alec,” was the blonde’s only response.  
  
     Izzy squeezed Jace’s hand tighter. “You two need to talk whatever is going on between you out.” She cut Jace off before he could argue, “If he won’t listen to me, maybe he’ll listen to you. His Parabatai.” She caught him as the thumb from his other hand stroked the bonding rune through his t-shirt. He looked unusually sad, and Isabelle wondered if there was more to this whole Alec-and-Jace-Avoiding-Each-Other thing than they let on.  
  
     “Just think about it, okay?”  
  
     “Yeah,” Jace replied. “I’ll think about it,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I received a lot of requests to continue this story, I will do so. I make no promises of regular updates, however, because whenever I do I end up being made a liar. Doesn't mean I won't try though! I feel like now that I'm venturing off to follow my own plot line, writing will come a bit easier for me.
> 
> Please let me know what you think -- I know not much happens in this chapter, but I feel it was a necessary launching point for what's to come.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read!
> 
> ~Krista


End file.
